In-Depth Information
The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center
Innovative Care For Cancer Pain
Whether caused by the cancer itself or by treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy, pain is a significant component of daily life for millions of people suffering from cancer. Pain occurs in 30 percent of all cancer patients, regardless of the stage of the disease, though studies also have shown that 90 percent of patients with advanced cancer experience severe pain.
Each individual’s experience with pain is different, and the quality of their pain depends on many factors: type of cancer, stage of the disease and the person’s tolerance level. Along with chronic cancer pain, sometimes people have acute flare-ups of pain when not all pain is controlled by medication or therapy. Chronic and breakthrough pain can remain problems for cancer survivors even years after their treatment is completed.
While cancer pain can be relieved, surveys have shown that it is often undertreated in many patients and such unrelieved pain adversely impacts quality of life by contributing to depression, anxiety, decreased ability to function and inactivity-related complications such as deep venous thrombosis and pneumonia.
As cancer treatment has evolved, so has our ability to enhance quality of life at any stage of the disease. The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center approaches each patient’s pain individually and make constant adjustments as their needs change. We have achieved great success at controlling cancer pain by using a combination of pain medications and interventional therapies. Some of the adjuvant medications prescribed may include tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-anxiety drugs, amphetamines, anticonvulsants and steroids.
Although a relatively high percentage of cancer pain is successfully treated with oral medication, other therapies also are available at The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center. Epidural analgesia is an effective and safe means of providing pain relief for cancer patients. Abdominal cancers can be treated with hypogastric plexus and celiac plexus nerve blocks. A nerve block is a procedure where a local anesthetic, sometimes combined with a steroid, is injected into or around a nerve to block pain. After injection, the nerve is no longer able to relay pain signals to the brain.
The Pain Management Specialists you choose makes a difference.
- The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center is the largest and one of the most trusted pain relief practices in Louisiana. Our dedication to advanced comprehensive care means you can rely on our state-of-the-art techniques and technology for quality outcomes.
- Our fellowship-trained, double-board-certified anesthesiologists and pain management specialists will spend as much time as necessary to make you feel comfortable. You’ll be greeted warmly, treated with respect and given answers to your questions in simple, easy-to-understand language.
- In addition to experienced Pain Management Specialists, we have an on-site physiatrist highly skilled in performing electrodiagnostic studies to test for nerve damage.
- When your doctors refer you to us, they’ll get timely reports and personal updates to make sure your doctor remains a vital part of your care. We will also make ourselves available to your doctor should they ever have questions or wish to discuss a case.
- The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center offers minimally invasive interventional techniques to relieve pain and increase function and mobility without major surgery.
- We strive to keep our care convenient and affordable. We’re here to help as many people as we can.
Go back to top>>
In-Depth Information: